Dual stage ultrafilter devices in the form of portable filter devices, shower devices, and hydration

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to an alternative compact portable filtration device that can be used in remote locations and includes a single filtration cartridge that provides redundant filtration of the fluid (water). In particular, the device is a dual stage ultrafilter cartridge (apparatus) that is constructed and designed to provide a portable device that can be used in the field, such as during camping or military assignment, and offers two filtration stages (redundant filtration) within a single housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/454,361, filed May 15, 2009 which claims the benefit of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/469,261, filed Aug. 31, 2006; U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/714,058, filed Sep. 2, 2005; U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/763,642, filed Jan. 30, 2006 and U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/809,648, filed May 30, 2006. The content of theseapplications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to filtration devices and methods and,more particularly, to a portable filtration cartridge having redundantfiltration stages for producing a sterile fluid, and in another aspect,to a wearable, mobile hydration pack or the like that containscomponents for storing raw water and means for purifying the raw waterinto purified water which can likewise be stored in the hydration pack.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that liquid (water)treatment facilities are needed in various fields which requiretreatment of water on site, such as at an industrial plant or the like,as well as in-field uses where it is desirable for the water to betreated at a remote location, such as during a camping trip or at aremote military location etc., where it is difficult or impossible tocontain and supply potable water. For example, when camping or hiking,it is very cumbersome to carry the necessary water supply due to thesheer weight of the water itself. This makes it difficult since it is anabsolute requirement for an individual to consume the necessary amountsof water to replenish fluid in the water and remain properly hydrated.

Unfortunately, access to a potable water supply may be difficult if notimpossible depending upon the circumstances and the precise location.For example, when camping or when otherwise being in a natural setting,it may be unsafe to drink running water from rivers, streams, lakes,etc., since these sources may contain foreign matter, such asmicroorganisms, organic wastes, etc., that can at the very least lead tosickness and discomfort and at worst, can even lead to serious healthconcerns and even death in the most extreme situations, as when harmfulchemicals or poisonous natural elements are consumed.

There are a number of governmental bodies and agencies that undertakeregulating the public drinking water supply. In particular, theEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety andHealth Administration (OSHA) assure the safety and health of the publicby setting and enforcing standards both outside and inside theworkplace. There are a number of regulations to govern the standardsthat apply to water consumption and especially, public water systems.The standards protect public health by limiting the levels ofcontaminants in drinking water, with some common contaminants beingmicroorganisms, organic matter, inorganic and organic chemicals,disinfection by-products, disinfectants, etc.

However and as previously mentioned, it is difficult to carry and/orgenerate a sufficient supply of drinking water when an individual islocated in a remote location, such as the wilderness even when there isabundant water around since the water may not be potable. While therehas been work done in the field of portable water treatment facilities,these facilities and systems tend to be either too complex, cumbersomeand generally impractical since they most often are not that portable indesign. It is therefore desirable to produce a water treatment devicethat is truly portable in nature and can be easily taken to a remotelocation due to it being compact in design.

One other field where water treatment is needed is a hemodialysis centeror clinic. Simply put, hemodialysis aids a patient whose body isincapable of filtering the blood. At hemodialysis centers, it is commonto include stationary and fixtured facilities to filter the waternecessary to the purity necessary for hemodialysis machines.

One other field where water treatment is needed is an in-field facility,such as a military hospital or first aid clinic, that is located in aremote location, such as a combat environment or in the middle of alarge federal park where the closest medical emergency facilities ismany miles away. A supply of sterilized water is needed for medicaltreatment of a patient in addition to sterilizing instruments and thelike which are used during an operative procedure.

One type of water treatment device is a wearable hydration pack thatprovides a mobile attempt to purify water; however, as described below,there are number of disadvantages associated with this type of device.More specifically, this type of wearable hydration pack contains asingle flexible bladder; however, these devices only generally storewater used for drinking. There are certain configurations of this typeof product whereby one either attempts to purify water that is placedinto the single bladder or attempts to purify the water as it leaves thebladder just before drinking it. These configurations present certaindifficulties that are overcome by the present invention as described indetail below. For example, for the case where one needs to purify waterfrom an un-purified or unpalatable water source before adding it to thesingle flexible bladder, the user would need to remain at the source ofun-purified water and run it through the purifying filter until it isfull. If the user is in a remote or dangerous location, such as in amilitary operation, it may be unsafe to remain at this water source foran extended period of time. For the case where one fills the bladderwith un-purified water and relies on a purification device at the outletof the bladder, the user is limited to the output of the purificationdevice when drinking the water. In addition, if the water containsbacteria and other water-borne organisms, a biofilm can develop insidethe bladder.

As previously mentioned, there are a number of different settings andapplications where a purified fluid is needed. This includes, but is notlimited to, sterile fluid for infusion, consumption, and/or bathing ofpatients with compromised immune systems, and further, other laboratoryor industrial applications or uses where sterile fluid is required. In anumber of applications, tap water from a municipality can not be usedeven for bathing of a patient that may have a suppressed or weakenedimmune system or has some other condition where particulate and otherforeign matter, including bacteria, contained in the tap water canjeopardize the health of the patient.

For example, there has been a number of recent outbreaks ofLegionanaires' disease that have been linked to an infected water supplyand the patient coming into contact with this supply. Legionellosis isan infection caused by the genus of Gram negative bacteria Legionella,notably, L. pneumophila. L. pneumophila is an ubiquitous aquaticorganism that thrives in warm environments and typically accounts forover 90% of Legionnaires disease. Legionellosis infection occurs afterpersons have breathed mists that come from a water source (e.g., airconditioning cooling towers, whirlpool spas, and showers) contaminatedwith Legionella bacteria. Persons may be exposed to these mists inhotels, workplaces, hospitals or public places. Legionella organisms canbe found in many types of water systems. The bacteria will grow in watertemperatures from 68° F. to 124° F. However, the bacteria reproduce atthe greatest rate in warm, stagnant water, such as that found in certainplumbing systems and hot water tanks, cooling towers and evaporativecondensers of large air-conditioning systems and whirlpool spas.

This is merely one example of a type of bacteria that can be present inwater and cause health problems and in some cases be fatal when consumedor when the patient comes into contact with infected potable water.Other types of bacteria can cause stomach aliments when consumed orother undesired health issues.

In order to ensure a clean, healthy supply of water, a filter device orthe like is often used to clean unwanted foreign matter from the water.Such a device will often have a filter membrane or the like that filtersthe water supply. In some settings where it is critical to have asterile supply of water or the like, a redundant filtration system isprovided to ensure the necessary level of safety. These types of systemsinclude not only a first filtration stage but also a second filtrationstage that acts as a redundant filtration stage since it receivesfiltered water from the first stage and then performs a secondfiltration operation on the filtered water to ensure that waterdischarged from the device is sterile and suitable for use.

In order for a filter to be effective in removing a given substance bysize exclusion, the filter must be and must remain intact. Generally, a“filter integrity test” is performed on the filter before it is put intouse. One type of test is known as a pressure test using compressed air.Some common methods include a bubble point test or pressure decay as aninspection method for testing the integrity of sterilizing filters. Airis used because air cannot cross the filter membrane except by simplediffusion. If however, the air pressure on one side of the filtermembrane exceeds a certain threshold value that is sufficient todisplace water from the pores of the membrane (which is held by surfacetension and capillary forces), a considerable amount of air crosses themembrane. This results in a stream of bubbles appearing on thedownstream side of the filter (i.e., the bubble point method) or aconsiderable decay in the upstream pressure (pressure decay method). Itis understood that neither of these pressure integrity test methods canbe used once the filter is installed where there is not a source ofcompressed air or if it is critical to maintain filter cleanliness, suchas maintaining sterility of the product being passed through the filter.

Several different techniques have been proposed for checking theintegrity of a filter; however, these techniques have associateddisadvantages. More particularly, one technique involves monitoring amarker substance unable to pass through an intact membrane, whileanother technique includes a system with a recirculation loop for theprimary side of a cross-flow filter. An injection port in this loopallows injection of a dye that can be detected by a sensor. In addition,another technique employs particles rather than a dye and measureseither the appearance or the disappearance of the particles. Inaddition, another technique uses redundant filters with the particles infront of the first filter and the sensor between the filters. Particleswill accumulate in front of the second filter if the first filter failswhich enhances sensitivity.

However, each of the above techniques has associated disadvantages, withone being that the process requires either additional parts (e.g.,sensors) or requires the addition of an additional substance, such asdye or particles, etc. This complicates and makes the integrity checkingprocess more cumbersome and costly.

It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that liquid(water) treatment facilities are needed in various fields which requiretreatment of water on site, such as at an industrial plant or the like,as well as in-field uses where it is desirable for the water to betreated at a remote location, such as during a camping trip or at aremote military location etc., where it is difficult or impossible tocontain and supply potable water. For example, when camping or hiking,it is very cumbersome to carry the necessary water supply due to thesheer weight of the water itself. This makes it difficult since it is anabsolute requirement for an individual to consume the necessary amountsof water to replenish fluid in the body and remain properly hydrated.

Unfortunately, access to a potable water supply may be difficult, if notimpossible, depending upon the circumstances and the precise location.In addition, in locations that are either remote and/or dangerous, suchas a military operation, it may be difficult for a person to have thetime or ability to purify a water supply. For example, when camping orwhen otherwise being in a natural setting, it may be unsafe to drinkrunning water from rivers, streams, lakes, etc., since these sources maycontain foreign matter, such as microorganisms, organic wastes, etc.,that can at the very least lead to sickness and discomfort and at worst,can even lead to serious health concerns and even death in the mostextreme situations, as when harmful chemicals or poisonous naturalelements are consumed.

There are a number of governmental bodies and agencies that undertakeregulating the public drinking water supply. In particular, theEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety andHealth Administration (OSHA) assure the safety and health of the publicby setting and enforcing standards both outside and inside theworkplace. There are a number of regulations to govern the standardsthat apply to water consumption and especially, public water systems.The standards protect public health by limiting the levels ofcontaminants in drinking water, with some common contaminants beingmicroorganisms, organic matter, inorganic and organic chemicals,disinfection by-products, disinfectants, etc.

However and as previously mentioned, it is difficult to carry and/orgenerate a sufficient supply of drinking water when an individual islocated in a remote location, such as the wilderness, even when there isabundant water around since the water may not be potable. While therehas been work done in the field of portable water treatment facilities,these facilities and systems tend to be either too complex, cumbersomeand generally impractical since they most often are not that portable indesign.

There is therefore a need for a wearable, mobile hydration unit that iseasily operable and overcomes the above disadvantages that areassociated with the conventional wearable hydration devices.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to an alternative compact portablefiltration device that can be used in remote locations and includes asingle filtration cartridge that provides redundant filtration of thefluid (water). In particular, the device is a dual stage ultrafiltercartridge (apparatus) that is constructed and designed to provide aportable device that can be used in the field, such as during camping ormilitary assignment, and offers two filtration stages (redundantfiltration) within a single housing. Any number of different pumpingmechanisms can be employed for delivering the fluid (e.g., water) from asource to the filtration stages of the cartridge. For example, a pistonpump can be incorporated into the housing of the device to offer a handheld pumping mechanism, a bellows structure can be provided to offer ahand held pumping mechanism, or a foot operated pumping mechanism can beprovided for controllably delivering raw, unfiltered fluid into thecartridge.

The device can include a number of other features described herein topermit the device to have a compact design for easy storage andtransportation of the device. For example, a winder mechanism can beprovided to wind and unwind a main fluid conduit that is placed into thesource of unfiltered fluid and a storage compartment can be provided tostored unused conduits and the like when the device is not being used.

In yet another embodiment, a dual stage ultrafilter device withredundant filtration is constructed to include an integral shower headfor delivering twice filtered fluid in a shower like manner.

A wearable, mobile hydration apparatus includes a body that isconstructed to be worn by a person and can be in the form of a back packor the like. The hydration apparatus includes a first fluid storagemember for storing an untreated fluid and a hand operable pump mechanismfor drawing the untreated fluid from the first fluid storage member. Theapparatus also includes a fluid treatment device that is fluidlyconnected to the first fluid storage member for receiving the untreatedfluid and includes elements for treating the untreated fluid to formtreated water. A second fluid storage member is fluidly connected to thefluid purification device such that it receives and stores the treatedwater as a result of the operation of the pump mechanism.

In yet another aspect, a wearable, mobile hydration unit with dual-stagesterilization is provided and includes a flexible structure, such as aback pack or the like, constructed to be worn by a person. The hydrationunit includes a first bladder for storing unsterilized, raw water thatis to be treated and purified and further includes a cartridge includinga housing having a first sterilization stage including firstsemi-permeable filtering elements and a second sterilization stageincluding second semi-permeable filtering elements. The housing has afirst end and a second end, with the first end including a fluid inletport that receives the raw water from the first bladder and a fluidoutlet port and a member that divides the housing into the firststerilization stage and the second sterilization stage.

The fluid inlet port is in fluid communication only with the firststerilization stage, while the fluid outlet port is in fluidcommunication only with the second sterilization stage. The first andsecond semi-permeable filtering elements are sealed at the second end ofthe housing so as to cause the fluid entering the fluid inlet port toflow within lumen sections of the first semi-permeable filteringelements and then be filtered by being conducted across the firstsemi-permeable filtering elements and then subsequently being filteredagain by being conducted across the second semi-permeable filteringelements and into the lumen sections of the second semi-permeablefiltering elements prior to being discharged through the fluid outletport as purified water.

A hand operable pump mechanism is provided for drawing the raw waterfrom the first bladder and delivering it through the fluid inlet portinto the first sterilization stage and a second bladder is fluidlyconnected to the fluid outlet port of the cartridge for receiving andstoring the purified water and permitting it to be selectivelydischarged to the person.

In yet another aspect, a feature is provided as part of the apparatusthat permits visual inspection of at least a portion of the secondsemi-permeable filtering elements to detect whether a breach hasoccurred in the first sterilization stage.

According to one embodiment, a dual stage water filtration unit includesa single cartridge having a primary sterilization stage including firstsemi-permeable filtering elements and a redundant sterilization stageincluding second semi-permeable filtering elements. The cartridgeincludes a fluid inlet port for receiving raw unfiltered fluid and afluid outlet port for discharging sterilized fluid after it has passedthrough the primary and redundant sterilization stages. The fluid inletport is in fluid communication only with the primary sterilizationstage, while the fluid outlet port is in fluid communication only withthe redundant sterilization stage, and the second semi-permeablefiltering elements are located adjacent to an inner wall of the housingwhich is formed of a transparent or translucent material.

A visual inspection tool is coupled to an outer surface of the housingand includes a window that overlies a portion of the secondsemi-permeable filtering elements to permit visual inspection thereofsuch that a user can determine if a breach has occurred in the firststerilization stage by observing discolorization of the secondsemi-permeable filtering elements.

In yet another embodiment, a dual stage water filtration unit includes asingle cartridge having a primary sterilization stage including firstsemi-permeable filtering elements and a redundant sterilization stageincluding second semi-permeable filtering elements. The cartridge alsoincludes a fluid inlet port for receiving raw unfiltered fluid and afluid outlet port for discharging sterilized fluid after it has passedthrough the primary and redundant sterilization stages. The fluid inletport is in fluid communication only with the primary sterilizationstage, while the fluid outlet port is in fluid communication only withthe redundant sterilization stage, and the second semi-permeablefiltering elements being located adjacent an inner wall of the housing.

A visual inspection tool in the form of a transparent or translucentwindow is formed as part of the housing and is surrounded by housingsections that are formed of an opaque material. The window overlies aportion of the second semi-permeable filtering elements to permit visualinspection thereof such that a user can determine if a breach hasoccurred in the first sterilization stage by observing discoloration ofthe second semi-permeable filtering elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features of the present invention will be morereadily apparent from the following detailed description and drawings ofillustrative embodiments of the invention wherein like reference numbersrefer to similar elements throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dual stage ultrafilter apparatusaccording to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1illustrating the pump mechanism in a first position to draw fluid intothe apparatus;

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1illustrating the pump mechanism in a second position to discharge fluidstored in the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a dual stage ultrafilter apparatusaccording to a second embodiment;

FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 5 showing apump mechanism in a retracted position;

FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 5 showing thepump mechanism in an extended position;

FIG. 7 is a local cross-sectional view of a section of the apparatus ofFIG. 6A;

FIG. 8 is a local cross-sectional view of another section of theapparatus of FIG. 6B;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 6B;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 10-10 of FIG. 6B;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a dual stage ultrafilter apparatusaccording to a third embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 11 showing apump mechanism in an extended position;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 11 showingthe pump mechanism in a retracted position;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a dual stage ultrafilter apparatusaccording to a fourth embodiment;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a dual stage ultrafilter apparatusaccording to a fifth embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 16-16 of FIG. 16illustrating a winder mechanism according to another embodiment;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view, partially exploded, of a dual stageultrafilter apparatus with integrated shower head according to a firstembodiment in an installed position;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 18 with themain inlet conduit being shown in an exploded position relative to theapparatus;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a dual stage ultrafilter apparatus withintegrated shower head according to another embodiment and being shownexploded from a flexible conduit attachment;

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is an end perspective view of a dual stage ultrafilter apparatusillustrating interchangeable nozzles;

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 22illustrating an optional tethered sealing cap;

FIG. 24A is a front view of wearable, mobile hydration pack with a waterpurification device contained as a part thereof according to a firstembodiment;

FIG. 24B is a rear perspective view of the hydration pack of FIG. 24A;

FIG. 25 is an exploded, partial, perspective view of the internalcomponents of the hydration pack of FIG. 24A;

FIG. 26 is a schematic view of first and second bladders in a firstcondition and that are part of the internal components of the hydrationpack of FIG. 24A;

FIG. 27 is a schematic view of the first and second bladders of FIG. 26in a second condition;

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of a dual-stage ultrafilter apparatuswith a visual verification feature; and

FIG. 29 is a partial cross-sectional view of another dual-stageultrafilter apparatus with a visual verification feature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a dual stageultrafilter apparatus (cartridge) 100 according to one embodiment isillustrated in FIGS. 1-4. The ultrafilter apparatus 100 is constructedand designed so that it provides a portable apparatus that is capable ofproviding two filtration stages (redundant filtration) within a singlehousing 110, as described below, and also has a means for delivering andpassing the fluid to be filtered through the two filtration stages.

More specifically, the housing 110 defines a primary filtration stage120 and a redundant filtration stage 130, with at least a portion of thehousing typically being generally cylindrically shaped and containing alongitudinal bundle of semi-permeable hollow fibers 140. Thesemi-permeable hollow fibers 140 serve as a means for filtering outbacteria, endotoxins, and other undesirable foreign matter from theincoming fluid from source 112 resulting in a sterile quality fluidbeing produced after it passes through the two filtration stages 120,130. The portable ultrafilter apparatus 100 may be used in anyapplication where a sterile fluid is required or highly desired,including drinking water, fluid for sterilizing medical equipment, etc.,bodily cleaning fluid for medical staff, on-line hemodiafiltration,etc., to name just a few exemplary applications. Any number ofsemi-permeable hollow fibers 140 that are commercially available forthis intended purpose may be used. For example, semi-permeable hollowfibers 140 come in a variety of dimensions and can be formed ofpolymers, such as polysulfone, or be cellulose-based.

The dual stage ultrafilter apparatus 100 can be thought of as having aredundant filtration component, as defined by the first and secondfiltration stages 120, 130, a pump mechanism 210 to cause the fluid tobe filtered to enter and pass through the two filtration stages 120,130, and optionally, a storage compartment for storing a fluid conduit220 that serves to deliver the fluid to be filtered from the source offluid.

The redundant filtration component of the apparatus 100 is now describedin detail. In the illustrated embodiment, the filtration componentincludes the cartridge housing 110 that contains the semi-permeablehollow fibers 140 which are arranged to define the first and secondfiltration stages 120, 130. For purpose of illustration only, the firstand second filtration stages 120, 130 are defined by concentricallyarranged hollow fibers 140. More specifically, the first filtrationstage 120 includes a first set of hollow fibers 140 that are in theshape of a ring that is radially outward and circumferentiallysurrounding a second set of hollow fibers 140 associated with the secondfiltration stage 130. Thus, when the fibers bundles are separated intoannular stages, a pair of concentric stages is formed.

However, the above-described arrangement of the semi-permeable hollowfibers 140 is merely exemplary in nature and the two sets of hollowfibers 140 can be arranged in any number of other arrangements includingside-by-side bundles of hollow fibers which are each semi-circular inshape. Alternatively, the first set of hollow fibers 140 associated withthe first filtration stage 120 can be arranged as a circular bunch offibers arranged in the center, with the second set of hollow fibers 140associated with the second filtration stage 130 being arranged as anannular (ring) shaped bunch of fibers that is radially outward andcircumferentially surrounds the first set of hollow fibers 140.Generally speaking the number of hollow fibers 140 associated with thefirst filtration stage 120 is about equal to the number of hollow fibers140 associated with the second filtration stage 130; however, this isnot critical so long as a desired flow rate and filtration rate can beachieved by the arrangement of the hollow fibers 140.

A header space 170 is provided and defines a first header space 172where the fluid to be filtered is received and routed into lumens of thefirst set of hollow fibers 140 of the first filtration stage 120. Asdescribed below, a second header space 174 is provided in the headerspace 170 to permit the twice (redundant) filtered fluid to bedischarged from the apparatus 100. The first and second header spaces172, 174 typically take the same general shape as the arrangement of thehollow fibers 140 in the first and second stages 120, 130. Morespecifically, when the first filtration stage 120 is defined by an outerannular shaped fiber bundle and the second filtration stage 130 isdefined by an inner circular shaped fiber bundle, the first header space172 is in the form of an annular (ring) shaped compartment that isradially outward and concentric with the second header space 174 whichis in the form of a center circular shaped space.

The header space 170 is disposed closer to a first end 114 of thehousing 110 compared to a second end 116 of the housing 110 and is theform of an enclosed cavity or compartment. Both the first and secondinner header spaces 172, 174 are separated from the rest of theapparatus 100 by a first potting compound 180, which forms a seal aroundthe outside surfaces of the hollow fibers 140 at the first end 114 ofthe housing 110. The header space 170 can be a removable type that maybe threaded onto the housing 110. The first header space 172 can besealed from the external environment by an O-ring or the like (notshown), which seals against the first potting compound 180. It can beappreciated by one skilled in the art that the first header space 170could also be attached permanently in this configuration as well as byseveral other methods, such as a snap-fit type construction.

The fluid to be filtered enters the first header space 172 through aninlet port 182 preferably in a tangential flow direction so as to moreequally perfuse the first header space 172 before the fluid enters thehollow fibers 140 associated with the first filtration stage 120 at aninterface 184. Interface 184, in this embodiment, is an upper surface ofthe first potting compound 180. Interface 184 preferably includes apolyurethane interface structure. The first header space 172 can beseparated from the second header space 174 by several techniques. Forexample, the first header space 172 can be separated from the secondheader space 174 by an annular wall 188 which partitions the headerspace of the first header space 170 into the first and second spaces172, 174, respectively. Preferably, the inner wall 188 is formed as anintegral part of the header space 170. The inner wall 188 extendsinwardly toward the fibers 140 from an inner surface of an upper portionof the header space 170. To provide a seal between the first and secondheader spaces 172, 174, an internal O-ring can be used and disposed atthe end of the inner wall opposite to where it attaches to the headerspace 170. The internal O-ring provides a sealing action when the headerspace 170 interfaces with the interface 184.

Thus, the inner wall 188 serves to separate portions of the hollowfibers 140 into first and second sections, which correspond with thefirst and second filtration stages 120, 130, respectively. Theseparation of the hollow fibers 140 can be accomplished using a numberof different techniques, including but not limited to inserting an endof the inner wall 188 or a separator into the bundle of hollow fibers140 proximate the first end of the housing 110 prior to the pottingprocess. In one exemplary embodiment, the separator can be in the formof an annular ring made of a suitable material, such as a plasticmaterial. The separator divides the single cylindrical hollow fiberbundle 140 into a first fiber section 121 (referred to herein as anexternal fiber bundle ring) and the second fiber section 131 (referredto herein as an internal cylindrical fiber bundle) at the first ends ofthe fibers 140. In other words, the external fiber bundle ring 121surrounds the internal cylindrical bundle 131. The separator may alsoserve a dual purpose as an O-ring seat for the internal O-ring. Theexternal fiber bundle ring 121 fluidly communicates with the firstheader space 172 and the inner fiber bundle 131 fluidly communicateswith the second header space 174. During the potting process, theseparator may be encased in the first potting compound 180. Theseparator is preferably made of a relatively non-rigid plastic, such aspolyethylene, that may be trimmed flush with the first potting compound180.

Alternatively and as illustrated, when the first header space 170 is notof a removable type, the inner wall 188 that is integral to the headerspace 170 can serve as the separator by being merely inserted into thefiber bundles 140 prior to the potting process. There are any number ofdifferent means for separating both the first header cap space into thefirst and second header spaces 172, 174, as well as partitioning thefiber bundle 140 into the external fiber bundle 121 and inner fiberbundle 131 in the illustrated embodiment. For example, different meansare disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,719,907, which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The fluid to be filtered enters the first header space 172 through theinlet port 182 which can be any type of suitable fluid connection port.Once mounted the header space 170 defines the two internal headerspaces, namely, the primary first header space 172 and the secondarysecond header space 174. As previously mentioned, the first and secondheader spaces 172, 174 are segregated from a filtration space of thehousing 110 by the first potting compound 180 that seals around theoutside of the fibers 140 and the inside end of the housing 110. Thisfirst fiber section 121 makes up the primary filtration stage 120. Thefluid flows into the fibers 140 and across the fiber membrane of eachfiber 140, which effectively removes the bacteria and endotoxin andother undesired foreign matter, etc., from the fluid. All the fluid isforced across the fiber membranes since the opposite ends of the hollowfibers 140 (associated with both stages 120, 130) have been sealed offby a second potting compound 181. The fluid flowing within the firstfiber section 121 is conducted across the fiber membranes 140 due to anexisting pressure differential in which the area surrounding the fibersof the first fiber section 121 is at a lower pressure compared to thepressure inside of the fibers 140 of the first section 121.

The now sterile filtered fluid resides in the internal filtration spacearound the hollow fibers 140. The pressure within the space then movesthe fluid into the fibers 140 of the second section 131. The fluidcrosses the membrane of these fibers 140 into the fiber lumen (innerlumen) and is filtered a second time. As such the second fiber section131 makes up the redundant filtration stage 130.

Twice filtered sterile fluid then exits into the second internal headerspace 174, through a discharge conduit 196 (which as illustrated alsoserves as the inner wall 188) and out of an outlet port 198. In thesimplest terms, the discharge conduit 196 merely transfers twicefiltered fluid from the second header space 174 to another locationwhere the twice filtered fluid is used, etc. As a result, the dischargeconduit 196 is merely some structure that confines and routes the twicefiltered fluid along a flow path such that it does not come into contactwith other fluids, such as the raw fluid to be filtered. In theillustrated embodiment, the discharge conduit 196 is in the form of atube or the like that carries the twice filtered fluid from thefiltration component of the apparatus 100 and away from the apparatus100. The discharge conduit 196 can thus be a length of tube whichextends outwardly from the apparatus 100 such that it terminates beyondfirst end 114 of the housing 110. The open end of the discharge conduit196 can thus be positioned in relation to a container or the like whichreceives and stores the twice filtered fluid. The open end of thedischarge conduit 196 can likewise be easily and fluidly connected tosome other device which receives the twice filtered fluid, e.g., ahemodialysis machine when the twice filtered fluid is sterile infusionfluid.

The outlet port (discharge port) 198 is a lower pressure than otherlocations of the filter and thus, the fluid is caused to flow accordingto the aforementioned flow path as the fluid entering the fibers 140 ofthe first section 121 is conducted across two separate fiber membranesin order to flow into the second header space 174 and ultimately throughthe outlet port 198. The general flow of fluid in the filtration(sterilization) stages 120, 130 is depicted by the arrows. The solidarrows indicate inter-lumen fluid flow, while the broken line indicatedflow between the stages 120, 130.

Optionally, the housing 110 can include one or more casing ports (notshown) which are in fluid communication with the filtration space. Thecasing ports are sealed during normal operation of the filter; but canbe used for priming and testing of the apparatus 100. The ports can beof any type suitable for making a leak free connection and during apriming operation, sterile fluid can be pumped into the ports where itwill force air out of the filtration chamber and fiber lumens 140 andeventually exit out of the two header ports 182, 198. The design allowsfor this advantageous methodology whereas priming via the inlet port 182could result in trapped air in the fibers 140 due to them being pluggedat one end. The ports are also used in order to detect fiber leaks, suchas performing an air pressure decay test. By pumping air into thefiltration chamber 125 one can advantageously test the fibers 140 ofboth filtration stages 120, 130 simultaneously.

As previously mentioned, there are other means for attaching the headerspace 170 to the housing end. It will be appreciated by one skilled inthe art that several additional methods are available as well. Some ofthese methods are shown in FIGS. 5-6 of the previously incorporated '907patent.

The pump mechanism 200 of the apparatus 100 is configured to deliver rawfluid (unfiltered water) from the source 112 to the first header space172 where it can then flow into the open fibers 140 that in fluidcommunication therewith and associated with the first filtration stage120. More specifically, the first conduit 220 is in the form of a tubeor the like which, under operation of the pump mechanism 200, can carrythe fluid from the source 112 to a temporary fluid holding chamber 202that forms a part of the pump mechanism 200 and is preferably integrallyattached to and forms a part of the housing 110.

As will be apparent hereinafter, there a number of different pumpmechanisms 200 that perform the intended function and therefore, theillustrated pump mechanisms 200 are merely exemplary in nature and notlimiting in scope of the present invention. FIGS. 1-4 illustrated apumping mechanism 200 that takes the form of a piston pump. The pistonpump 200 includes an axially movable piston or plunger element 210 thatis received within the holding chamber 202. Similar to a syringestructure, the piston 210 is an elongated structure that has a first end212 and an opposing second end 214, with the first end 212 being a freeend that can be gripped and manipulated by the user so as to cause thepiston 210 to move axially within the holding chamber 202. A handle 213can be provided at the first end 212 to make it easier for the user tograsp and manipulate and axially move the piston 210 in the holdingchamber 202.

At the second end 214, the piston/plunger 210 includes a stopper 216that contacts and forms a seal with the inner wall of the holdingchamber 202, while at the same time permitting the piston 210 to freelyslide within the holding chamber 202. According to the illustratedembodiment, the stopper 216 is a disk like structure or seal memberformed of a suitable material, such as an elastomer that seals againstthe inner wall of the holding chamber 202. The stopper 216 thuspartitions the holding chamber 202 into two compartments when thestopper 216 is located between the ends of the holding chamber 202, withthe volume of the spaces being variable depending upon where the stopper216 is located.

The first conduit 220 is in fluid communication with the holding chamber202 so that fluid from the source 112 is delivered through an inletopening or port 207 into the interior of the holding chamber 202 wherethe fluid is received and stored. The shape of the holding chamber 202needs to be complementary to the shape of the stopper 216 to permit thestopper 216 to seal against the inner surface thereof. The holdingchamber 202 is constructed so that the volume thereof is sufficient sothat when the held fluid is discharged from the holding chamber 202 asdescribed below, sufficient discharge pressure is created to force asignificant and preferably a substantial volume of the fluid throughboth the first and second filtration stages 120, 130 and then outthrough the outlet port 198.

The inlet port 207 can be a connector stem or the like that defines anentrance into the interior compartment (holding chamber) 202. The firstconduit 220 can thus be sealingly mated to the inlet port 207 such thatthe fluid from the source 112 is directly delivered into the holdingchamber 202. However, the inlet port 207 can be in any number of otherforms so long as the first conduit 220 can sealingly mate thereto.

The holding chamber 202 also has an outlet port 209 that is in fluidcommunication with the first header space 172 so as to permit the fluiddischarged from the holding chamber 202 under operation of the pumpmechanism 200 to be delivered into the first filtration stage 120. Theoutlet port 209 can take any number of different forms, including aconnector stem or the like to permit a second conduit 222 to be fluidlyconnected between the outlet port 209 and the inlet port 182 associatedwith the first header space 172. This second conduit 222 is thus abridging conduit that fluidly connects the interior holding chamber 202to the first header space 172. The second conduit 222 can be similar tothe first conduit 220 and therefore, it can take the form of a piece oftubing or the like that can carry the raw fluid from the holding chamber202 to the first header space 172. Preferably, the connections betweenthe inlet port 207 and the first conduit 220 and the outlet port 209 andthe second conduit 222 provide a sealed interface between the twoelements. It will be appreciated that the first conduit 220 serves asinlet conduit to deliver the raw fluid to the holding chamber 202, whilethe second conduit 222 serves as an outlet conduit to deliver raw fluidfrom the holding chamber 202 to the filtration component and morespecifically, the first header space 172.

A first one way check valve 230 is disposed within and along the firstconduit 220 to control the flow of fluid through the first conduit 220and a second one way check valve 232 is disposed within and along thesecond conduit 220 to control the flow of fluid through the secondconduit 220. As is well known, one way check valves function to permitfluid to flow only in one direction and in the case of the first checkvalve 230, the valve 230 operates to permit fluid to only flow in adirection from the water source 112 to the holding chamber 202 and thus,when the plunger (piston) 210 is moved in a direction toward the firstend 114 of the housing 110 to discharge the stored fluid, the fluid isprevented from flowing back down the first conduit 220 to the fluidsource 112. Similarly, the second check valve 232 operates to permitfluid to flow only in a direction from the holding chamber 202 to thefirst header space 172 and thus, when the plunger 210 is moved in thedirection toward the first end 114, the fluid discharged from theholding chamber 202 flows only in a direction from the holding chamber202 toward the first header space 172. Similarly, when the plunger 210is moved in a direction toward the second end 116 to draw fluid into theholding chamber 202, the second check valve 232 operates to preventfluid from flowing back down the second conduit 222 and into the holdingchamber 202.

The dual stage ultrafilter apparatus 100 is constructed to be a compact,portable device that provides redundant fluid filtration in remotelocations or locations where filtered fluid is otherwise not available.To operate the apparatus 100 and produce a quantity of filtered fluid,the distal end of the first conduit 220 is placed in fluid communicationwith the raw fluid source 112 that is to be treated. The pump mechanism200 is then operated so as to draw the raw fluid through the firstconduit 220 into the holding chamber 202 as the user continuously movesthe plunger 210 within the holding chamber 202 in a direction toward thesecond end 116 of the housing 110. As the user continuously moves theplunger 210 in this direction, the available volume for storing thefluid increases.

Once the user has drawn in a sufficient volume of fluid into the holdingchamber 202 or the plunger 210 has reached the end of its travel, theuser then introduces the raw fluid into the first filtration stage 120and then ultimately, the second filtration stage 130 by moving theplunger 210 in the opposite direction, namely, in a direction toward thefirst end 114 of the housing 110. The stopper 216 thus forces the storedfluid to be expelled or discharged from the holding chamber 202 andsince the first check valve 230 prevents discharge of the stored fluidinto the first conduit 220, the fluid is forced through the outlet port209 and into the second conduit 232 where it flows through the inletport or opening 182 and into the first header space 172. As a result ofthe presence of the inner wall (separator) 188 of the discharge conduit196, the raw fluid discharged into the first header space 172 can notflow into the open ends of the second bundle of fibers 131 but instead,the fluid flows into the insides (inner lumen) of the first bundle offibers 121. The fluid is then filtered as described above in that thefluid within the inner lumens of the fibers 140 in the first filtrationstage 120 flows across the fiber membrane of each fiber, whicheffectively removed bacteria, endotoxins, other undesired matter, etc.,from the raw fluid. All of the fluid is forced across the fibermembranes since the opposite ends of the hollow fibers 140 have beensealed off by the second potting compound 181. The fluid then flowingwithin the filtration compartment or space is conducted across the fibermembranes associated with the second filtration stage 130 due toexisting pressure differentials and into the inner fiber lumen of thesecond bundle of fibers 131 and is thus filtered a second time. As such,the second fiber bundle 131 makes up the redundant filtration stage.

The twice filtered fluid then exits into the second header space 174 andout of the outlet port 198 where it can be processed in a desiredmanner, e.g., it can be directed into a storage container.

Several other optional features can be included as part of the design ofthe apparatus 100. In particular, a lock mechanism 240 can be providedfor securely receiving and locking the pump handle 213. In theillustrated embodiment, the lock mechanism 240 is in the form of a catchthat frictionally receives and securely grasps the handle 213 of thepiston 210 so as to prevent the piston 210 from inadvertently movingaxially within the holding chamber 202. The catch 240 also functions torestrict the rotation of the handle 213 so as to prevent the plunger 210from inadvertently rotating around as during transportation and/orstorage.

In addition, the apparatus 100 can have a winder mechanism 250 thatserves to wind and unwind the first conduit 220 that is placed incommunication with the fluid source 112. The winder mechanism 250 cantake any number of different forms, including those that are typicallyused in the hose reel field. For example, the winder mechanism 250 ofFIGS. 1-4 generally includes a rotatable housing or body 252 that isdisposed at the first end 114 of the housing 110 and according to oneembodiment, the housing 252 is rotatable relative to both the adjacentheader space 170 and the discharge conduit 196. In fact, the dischargeconduit 196 extends through the housing 252 and protrudes therefromsince it is in the form of an outlet spout.

It will be appreciated that the housing 252 defines a dry compartment254 where the first conduit 220 can be wound into when the apparatus 100is not in use and then unwound therefrom when the apparatus 100 is inuse. The first conduit 220 in fact can be partitioned into severalsegments depending on and in order to accommodate the operation of thewinder mechanism 250. More specifically, a first segment of the firstconduit 220 passes through a first opening 259 formed in the housing 252and terminates with an end of the first conduit 220 that is placed intothe fluid source 112. This end of the first conduit 220 can include afloatation element (a float) 231 that causes this particular section ofthe first conduit 220 to float. The end of the first conduit 220 canalso include a screen or mesh 233 that serves to initially filter outany large matter from the fluid source 112. The other second segment ofthe first conduit 220 is in fluid communication with the first segmentand is fluidly attached at one end to the inlet port 207 that leads intothe holding chamber 202. Since the second segment is attached to theholding chamber 202 (pump mechanism 200), which is stationary, thewinder mechanism 250 is designed to operate by having the second segmentbe substantially fixed and not rotate with the housing 252 and the firstsegment of the first conduit 220 be cable of winding around thedischarge conduit 196.

FIGS. 2-4 illustrate, in greater detail, a winder mechanism 250according to one exemplary embodiment. The housing 252 of the windermechanism 250 includes a first part 256 that is fixedly attached to thefirst end 114 of the housing 110 of the filtration component. The firstpart 256 is not rotatably mounted to the housing 110 but a second part260 of the housing 252 is rotatably mounted to the first part 256 yetfluidly communicated thereto in a sealed manner such that when thesecond part 260 is rotated relative to the first part 256 as describedbelow, fluid can be transferred from the second part 260 to the firstpart 256 in a sealed manner.

The second part 260 is defined by an outer casing 262 that defines thedry compartment 254. The second part 260 includes a first core member264 that is disposed within the outer casing 262, as well as a secondcore member 270 that is also disposed within the outer casing 262. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the discharge conduit 196 and the first andsecond core members 264, 270 are all concentric with one another, withthe second core member 270 being the radially innermost member and theouter casing 262 being the radially outermost member. While the shapesof the first and second core members 264, 270 can take any number ofdifferent forms, the illustrated embodiment shows the members 264, 270having cylindrical shapes.

The second core member 270 is fixedly attached to the outer casing 262so that rotation of the outer casing 262 results in the simultaneousrotation of the two members, while the first core member 264 isstationary relative to these two members since the first core member 264is fitted on the discharge conduit 196. Near one end of the first coremember 264 is an opening 274 that forms an entrance into an interiorcompartment 276. Within the interior compartment 276 lies the first coremember 264 and the discharge conduit 196; however, there is an annularspace that is formed between the first core member 264 and the innersurface of the second core member 270.

As previously mentioned, the first conduit 220 is partitioned into afirst segment 233 and a second segment 235, with the first segment 233being fluidly connected to the second part 260 and having the distal endwhich is to be placed in the fluid source 112. The second segment 235 isin fluid communication between the first part 256 and the inlet port 207that is associated with the holding chamber 202. One end 235 of thefirst segment 233 is fluidly attached to the opening 274 so that fluidflowing within the first segment 233 flows into the interior compartment276 in a sealed manner. The opening 259 is formed in the outer casing262 such that the first segment 233 passes through the opening 259 andwraps around the first core member 264 before terminating at the opening274.

The second core member 270 is a perforated hollow member (foraminouscylinder) such that fluid can pass through the plurality of openings 267formed in the cylindrical wall thereof and into an interior compartment269 thereof. Thus, after the fluid flows into the interior compartment276, the fluid flows through the openings 267 and into the interiorcompartment 269. One end of the first core member 264 is in fluidcommunication with the first part 256 to permit the fluid flowing withinthe interior compartment 269 to flow directly into an intermediate fluidholding cavity or compartment 280 that is defined by a body structure ofthe first part 256. As illustrated, the compartment 280 is an annularcompartment that is formed around the discharge conduit 196. In theillustrated embodiment, one end 277 of the second core member 270 has aplurality of openings or ports 279 that are located within thecompartment 280 and the opposite end of the second core member 270 issealed so that the fluid must flow through the openings 279 and into thecompartment 280 as more fluid is pumped into the interior compartment276, 269.

The intermediate compartment 280 has an outlet port or opening 282formed in an outer wall thereof. One end of the second segment 235 isfluidly and sealingly attached to the outlet port 282, with an oppositeend of the second segment 235 being fluidly and sealingly attached tothe inlet port 207 that is associated with the holding chamber 202.Thus, fluid flowing into the compartment 280 flows directly into thesecond segment 235 to the holding chamber 202.

It will be appreciated that the user can wind the first segment 233 ofthe first conduit 220 into the dry compartment 254 defined by the outercasing 262 by simply rotating the outer casing 262 relative to theremaining parts of the apparatus 100 without disrupting the flow of theraw fluid into the first filtration stage 120.

Now referring to FIGS. 5-10 in which a dual stage ultrafilter apparatus300 according to another embodiment is illustrated. The apparatus 300 issimilar to the apparatus 100 and therefore, identical elements arenumbered alike and are not discussed in any detail since they havepreviously been discussed in detail with reference to the firstembodiment.

The main difference between apparatus 300 and apparatus is the pumpmechanism that serves to move the raw, unfiltered fluid through thefirst and second filtration stages 120, 130 to produce a twice filteredfluid. Instead of having the piston pump mechanism 200 shown in FIG. 1,the apparatus 300 has a pump mechanism 310 that is still a hand operatedsystem similar to the mechanism 200.

The pump mechanism 310 is of a bellows type construction and is locatedat the second end 116 of the housing 110. The bellows construction ofthe pump mechanism 310 permit the user to draw fluid from the source 112and store it in a temporary holding location by expanding the bellowsand then conversely, the user discharges the held fluid by simplyretracting the bellows back to the closed position.

One exemplary pump mechanism 310 includes a cap 320 that is intended tobe grasped and manipulated by the user to open and close a bellowsstructure 330. The cap 320 can take any number of different shapesincluding a generally circular shape as illustrated. The cap 320 isformed of a body 322 that define an internal cavity 324. The size of theinternal cavity 324 of the cap 320 should be sufficient so that thebellows structure 330 can be stored therein when the cap 320 is in theclosed, locked position.

The bellows structure (bellows) 330 in it simplest terms is a structurethat is deformable in such a way as to alter its volume for delivering afluid in a controlled quantity to a controlled location. The bellows 330has a first end 332 and an opposing second end 334, with the first end332 being attached to an inner wall of the housing 110 at the second end116. The second end 334 of the bellows 330 has a reinforced ringstructure 336 or the like to aid in attaching the second end 334 to thecap 320. For example, an inner end wall of the cap 320 can include oneor more tabs or recesses 338 that engage and/or receive the ringstructure 336 so as to securely yet rotatably attach the ring structure336 to the cap 320. More specifically, the cap 320 is permitted torotate relative to the stationary bellows 330 due to the design of thering structure 336 and the retaining tabs 338.

While the first end 332 of the bellows 330 is an open end, the secondend 334 is a closed end such that the bellows 330 includes a cavity orstorage or holding compartment 340 that receives and stores the raw,unfiltered fluid as described below. Due to the deformable nature of thebellows structure 330, the volume of the holding compartment 340 isvariable in that when the bellows 330 is fully opened, the volume is atits greatest and when the bellows 330 is fully closed, the volume is atits least.

The bellows structure 330 serves a number of functions including thatthe operation thereof creates the necessary pressure differential thatcauses the fluid to first flow into the first conduit 220 and then intothe holding chamber associated with the bellows 330, as well asproviding a sealed holding chamber that holds the raw, unfiltered fluidbefore it is discharged into the first header cap 172.

Preferably, the pump mechanism 310 is of the type that can be securelyfixed to the housing 110 of the apparatus 300 when it is not in use aswhen it is being stored and/or transported. The means for securelyfixing the pump mechanism 310 can take any number of different forms,such as a snap fit arrangement, a friction fit or other mechanism fit,or by spaced magnets that cause the pump mechanism 310 to remain in theclosed position. In the illustrated embodiment, the pump mechanism 310is held in place by means of complementary threads formed on both thecap 320 of the pumping mechanism and the housing 110. More specifically,the cap 320 includes internal threads 321, while the second end 116 ofthe housing 110 includes complementary external threads 117 that permitthe cap 320 to be threadingly secured to the housing 110 resulting inthe bellow 330 being held in the closed, retracted position.

The pump mechanism 310 includes an inlet conduit which in this caseincludes the second segment 235 of the first conduit 220 which serves tobring the raw, unfiltered fluid into the holding/storage compartment 340of the bellows structure 330. More specifically and according to thisembodiment, the second segment 235 extends from the fluid holding cavityor compartment 280 that is defined by the first part 256 to an inletport 342 of the bellows storage compartment 340. Thus, the first andsecond segments 233, 235 of the first conduit 220 serve to deliver theraw, unfiltered fluid to the compartment 340 where it is storedmomentarily before being delivered to the first filtration stage. Thelocation of the second segment 235 is not critical; however, for thesake of compactness and ease of use, the second segment 235 typically iseither contained within the housing 110 itself or is attached to andruns along an outer wall of the housing 110. In the illustratedembodiment, the second segment 235 is shown as being contained withinthe housing 110 such that the hollow filtration fibers 140 surround thesecond segment 235. In other words, the second segment 235 is a tubularstructure that is mixed in with the hollow fibers 140 within the housing110. In order to reduce any impact of the second segment 235 on thehollow fibers 140, the second segment 235 can be disposed immediatelyadjacent and in contact with an inner wall of the housing 110. It willbe appreciated that when the second segment 235 is disposed within theinterior of the housing 110, the second segment 235 passes through thefirst and second potting compounds 180, 181, which serve to fixedlylocate and hold the second segment 235 in place.

The pump mechanism 310 further includes an outlet conduit 350 whichserves to deliver the raw, unfiltered fluid that is temporarily storedin the compartment 340 to the first filtration stage 120. The outletconduit 350 is similar to the other fluid carrying conduits in that itis an elongated hollow structure that extends from an outlet port 344 ofthe compartment 340 to the first header space 172 where the fluid canflow into the fiber bundle 121 of the first filtration stage 120.Similar to the inlet conduit, the location of the outlet conduit 350 isnot critical; however, for the sake of compactness and ease of use, theoutlet conduit 350 typically is either contained within the housing 110itself or is attached to and runs along an outer wall of the housing110. In the illustrated embodiment, the outlet conduit 350 is shown asbeing contained within the housing 110 such that the hollow filtrationfibers 140 at least partially surround the outlet conduit 350.

Similar to the first embodiment, the pump mechanism 310 includes thefirst and second one way check valves 230, 232. The first one way checkvalve 230 can be disposed at or near the inlet opening 342 of thecompartment 340 (either in the second segment 335 itself or in the inletopening 342 itself) and is designed to let fluid only pass into theinterior compartment 340 and not exit therefrom back into the conduit235 or as illustrated at or near the compartment 280 as shown in FIG. 8.The second one way check valve 232 can be disposed at or near the outletopening 344 of the compartment 340 (either in the conduit itself or inthe opening itself) and is designed to let fluid only pass from interiorcompartment 340 into the outlet conduit 350. In the illustratedembodiment, the valve 232 is disposed at or near the compartment 280 asillustrated in FIG. 7. Thus, when the bellows structure 330 is operatedby pulling the cap 320 and the attached bellows 330 away from the secondend of the housing 110, the bellows 330 begins to expand and create anegative pressure in the first conduit 220 (first and second segments233, 235) so as to draw the fluid from the source 112 through the firstconduit 220 and into the interior compartment 340 of the bellows 330 andis stored therein since the first check valve 230 is open, while thesecond check valve 232 is closed.

Once the user has drawn a desired volume of fluid into the interiorcompartment 340 or the compartment 340 is full, the user then reversesthe direction of force being applied to the cap 320 and bellows 330 andpushes both back towards the second end of the housing 110. Thisreversal in applied pressure causes the first check valve 230 to close,while the second check valve 232 opens and the fluid stored in thecompartment 340 is then discharged into the outlet conduit 350 where itflows toward and into the first header space 172 and then the fiberbundle 121 and ultimately the fiber bundle 131 so as to twice filter thefluid. The filtration operation of the apparatus 300 is the same as theapparatus 100 and therefore is not further discussed in any detail.

Now referring to FIGS. 11-14 in which a dual stage ultrafilter apparatus400 according to yet another embodiment is illustrated. The apparatus400 is similar to the apparatus 300, as well as the apparatus 100, withthe exception that instead of being a hand held bellows type pump, theapparatus 400 is in the form of a detachable foot operated diaphragm(bellows) pump mechanism 410. In this embodiment, the pump mechanism 410includes the detachable foot operated diaphragm pump 420 that includes afirst part 422 is intended to be placed on a solid surface, such as theground; a second part 424; and a diaphragm (bellows) member 430 that isattached between the first and second parts 422, 424. As with thebellows 330, the diaphragm 430 is an expandable/deformable member whoseinternal volume is variable so as to generate pressure differentialswithin the conduit system. The diaphragm 430 is sealingly attached tothe first and second parts 422, 424 since an internal cavity orcompartment 432 thereof must be capable of storing the raw, unfilteredfluid.

In one embodiment, the first and second parts 422, 424 are spring loadedso that in a rest position, the second part 424 is biased from the firstpart 422 in an open position resulting in the diaphragm 430 being fullyexpanded when the second part 424 is released from the first part 422.The first and second parts 422, 424 preferably include a locking featureto permit the two parts to be selectively locked together. For example,the first part 422 includes a first locking feature 423 and the secondpart 424 includes a second locking feature 425 that permits the twoparts 422, 424 to be locked together to permit compact storage of theapparatus 400. The first and second locking features 423, 425 can takeany number of different structures, including a snap-fit, locking tabs,hook and loop, or a frictional mechanical fit as shown, etc.

The second segment 235 is fluidly and sealingly connected to thecompartment 432 to permit the raw, unfiltered fluid to be delivered intothe compartment 432 from the fluid source 112. Similar to the apparatus300, a length of the second segment 235 runs within the housing 110 butin this embodiment, a significant length of the second segment 235extends beyond the second end of the housing 110 to permit the pumpmechanism 410 to be placed on the ground.

Since the pump mechanism 410 is typically placed on the ground furtheraway from the housing 110, the second segment 235 and the outlet conduit350 are of greater length than in the previous hand held embodiment inorder to permit the pump mechanism 410 to be located at a remotelocation compared to the housing 110. The second segment 235 and theoutlet conduit 350 perform the same function as in the previousembodiment in that they route the raw, unfiltered fluid to thecompartment 432 and then to the first header space 172.

In one embodiment, the first part 422 can have a conduit storage areaincorporated therein to store the lengths of the second segment 235 andthe outlet conduit 350 that extend from the second end of the housing110 to the pump mechanism 410. More particularly, an underside of thefirst part 422 that faces and is disposed adjacent the second end of thehousing 110 can include a hollow space that acts as the storage area. Aretaining feature, such as a plurality of retaining tabs or the like,can be included as part of the underside of the first part 422 so thatonce the conduits 235, 350 are wound into the storage area, the conduits235, 350 are securely held therein. This permits the conduits (tubing)to be stored such that the first part 422 can be securely attached tothe housing 110 by means of internal threads 440 that are formed as partof the first part 422 and complementary external threads 422 formed aspart of the housing 110.

Accordingly, when the first and second parts 422, 424 are securely fixedto one another and the first part 422 is threadingly fastened to thesecond end of the housing 110, the pump mechanism 410 is securelyattached to the housing 110 for transport and storage of the apparatus400.

Alternatively and as shown in FIGS. 12-14, a conduit storage area 429can be provided as part of the housing 110 and in particular, thehousing 110 is extended beyond the second potting compound 181 so as toform an interior cavity (the conduit storage area 429) that is definedan annular side wall 441 and an end wall 443 that has openings formedtherein to permit communication with the inlet and outlet conduits 235,350.

The storage area 429 is constructed to permit the pump mechanism 410 tobe securely attached to the housing 110 without an excessive length ofconduits being present. In order to accomplish this, a pair of connectorconduits 235′, 350′ can be supplied and attached at first ends tocomplementary connectors that are part of the conduits 235, 350,respectively. Opposite second ends of the connector conduits 235′, 350′can be attached to connectors 463, 461, respectively, so as to fluidlyconnect the conduits 235, 350 with the internal storage compartment 432of the bellows 430. When complete storage of the apparatus is required,the connector conduits 235′, 350′ can be detached from the connectors463, 461 and the conduits 235, 350 and neatly stored in the area 429 asthe body 422 is threadingly fastened to the housing 110. FIG. 14 showsthe connector conduits 235′, 350′ in the detached states.

As with the other embodiments, first and second one way check valves230, 232 are provided and are disposed within the second segment 235 andthe outlet conduit 350. The valves 230, 232 work in the same manner aspreviously described with reference to apparatus 300.

To operate the apparatus 400, the pump mechanism 410 is detached fromthe housing 110 and the first and second parts 422, 424 are placed onthe ground. Next, the first and second parts 422, 424 are detached fromone another and the spring loaded design causes the second part 424 tobe biased outward from the first part 422, thereby expanding thediaphragm 430. This results in raw fluid being drawn into thecompartment 432. To discharge the raw fluid that is stored in thecompartment 432, the user places his/her foot on the second part 424 andthen exerts pressure against the second part 424 in a direction towardthe first part 422, thereby retracting/compressing the diaphragm 430 toa closed position. As the diaphragm 430 is compressed, the fluid storedtherein is discharged into the outlet conduit 350 and flows therein tothe first header space 172 where it flows into the fiber bundle 121 ofthe first filtration stage 120.

As shown in FIG. 11, the distal end of the discharge conduit 196 caninclude a removable cover or cap 211 that is attached to the outsidewall of the discharge conduit 196 by means of a flexible connector strap213.

FIG. 15 illustrates a dual stage ultrafilter apparatus 500 according toanother exemplary embodiment. The apparatus 500 is similar to theapparatus 300 and therefore, only the differences between the twoapparatuses are described in detail. The apparatus 500 is based on ahand operated bellow/diaphragm type pump mechanism; however, unlike theprevious embodiment, the apparatus 500 includes a lever pump mechanism510. The expandable/retractable diaphragm (bellows) 330 is attached tothe second end of the housing 110 and attaches to the cap 320 which isrotatably mounted to the diaphragm 330.

In this embodiment, the outer wall of the housing 110 includes a pair ofguide features, namely a first guide feature and a second guide featurepreferably on opposite sides of the housing 110, each of which includesa guide track 520 formed along a length of the outer wall of the housing110 and a guide rod 522. The guide rod 522 is an elongated member thatis attached at one end to the cap 320, with the other end of the guiderod 522 being received within a guide slot formed in the guide track520.

The pump mechanism 510 also includes a lever mechanism 530 that is handoperated and includes a lever 540 that is securely attached to the cap320 via connector (e.g., an arm or finger) such that movement of thelever 540 is translated into axially movement of the bellows 330 alongthe longitudinal axis of the housing 110. The attachment between thelever 540 and the cap 320 can be accomplished in any number of differentways, including a pin or a snap fit arrangement, both of which permitthe lever 540 to be detached from the cap 320.

One end of the lever 540 is adapted to be gripped and manipulated by theuser, while the lever 540 is pivotally attached to the housing 110 usinga pivot construction, generally indicated at 550. Exemplary lever pumpmechanisms 510 of this type are commercially available from Cole-Parmer,e.g., Guzzler® diaphragm hand pump. The pivot connection permits thepivoting of the lever 540 to be translated into the above describedaxial movement of the bellows 330.

To operate the pump mechanism 510, the user simply moves the lever 540in a direction indicated by arrow 529 out of the retracted bellowsposition (shown in FIG. 15) and the pivoting motion of the lever 540 istranslated into axial movement of the cap 320 in a direction away fromthe second end of the housing 110, thereby causing the bellows 330 toexpand and the fluid to be drawn into the bellows 330. The travel of theguide rods 526 in the guide tracks 524 permits the controlled movementof the cap 320 and the bellows 330.

To compress the bellows 330, the lever 540 is simply pivoted in anopposite direction indicated by arrow 531, thereby causing the cap 320to move back towards the second end of the housing 110. This results inthe bellows 330 closing and the fluid stored in the compartment 340being discharged into the outlet conduit 350 and delivered to the firstheader space 172.

The lever based pump mechanism 510 permits the user to rapidly pump thefluid from the source 112 into the bellows (diaphragm) compartment 340and then into the first header space 172 and then the first and secondstages 120, 130 before being discharged through the conduit 196 byrepeatedly lifting and closing the lever 540.

Preferably, the lever 540 can be completely and easily detached from thehousing 110 as by detaching it from the pivot connection 550 (e.g., asby removing a pivot pin) and then detaching it from the cap 320 and thensecurely storing the lever 540 along the housing 110 as by releasablyplacing the lever 540 in a clamp 533.

FIGS. 16-17 illustrate the apparatus 100 with a different type of windermechanism 251. In this embodiment, the winder mechanism 251 iscomplementary to a header cap 171. As shown in FIG. 17, the header cap171 includes annular inner wall 188 that partitions the header spaceinto the first and second header spaces 172, 174. The discharge conduit196 is an integrally part of the inner wall 188 and is in the form of anelongated tubular member that is open at both ends, with one end openinginto the second header space 174. The header cap 171 is fixedly attachedto the first end of the housing 110 as previously described.

In the illustrated embodiment, the header cap 171 actually is configuredto seal and close off an open end of the storage compartment 202 of thepump mechanism 210. As shown in FIG. 17, the header cap 171 can beconstructed to have a diameter greater than the diameter of the housing110 so as to permit a portion of the cap to extend beyond the housing110 for closing off the open end of the compartment 202 of the pumpmechanism 210. The inlet opening 207 is incorporated into the design ofthe header cap 171 as well as the outlet port 209 such that when theheader cap 171 is securely attached to the first end of the housing 110,both the inlet port 207 and the outlet port 209 are in fluidcommunication with the compartment 202. In addition, the outlet port 209defines an entrance into the first header space 172 to permit dischargeflow from the compartment 202 into the first header space 172 aspreviously discussed. According to this embodiment, the first and secondone way check valves 230, 232 are a part of the header cap 171 and aremounted respectively next to the inlet port 207 and the outlet port 209.Once again, the header cap 171 is non-rotatably mounted to the housing110.

The header cap 171 includes an annular rim 173 that extends beyond anend wall 175 that closes off the first and second header spaces 172, 174at the ends thereof. However, both the discharge conduit 196 and theannular rim 173 extend beyond the end wall 175, with the dischargeconduit 196 actually extending further beyond the annular rim 173. Theannular rim 173 includes an annular lip 177 at its free distal end. Theheader cap 171 has a slot 179 formed therein proximate to the annularlip 177.

The winder mechanism 251 of this embodiment includes a winder cap member253 that is rotatably mounted relative to the header cap 171. The capmember 253 includes a fastening portion 255 that interlockingly engagesthe annular lip 177 so as to securely attach the two parts together insuch a way that the cap member 253 can rotate relative to the header cap171 to permit winding of the first conduit 220 as described below. Thefastening portion 255 is complementary to the lip 177 so that amechanical fit results between the two and when this interlocking fitresults, the cap member 253 is disposed over a portion of the slot 179such that a through opening is formed. The cap member 253 also includesa through opening 261 formed in an annular side wall thereof. Thethrough opening 261 is sized to receive the first conduit 220. A distalend opening 263 is formed in an end wall of the cap member 253 and issized to receive the distal end of the discharge conduit 196 such thatthe discharge conduit 196 passes through and extends therebeyond.

In this embodiment, one end of the first conduit 220 is routed throughthe interior dry compartment defined by the mated cap member 253 andannular rim 173 and then through the partially covered slot 179 and tothe inlet port 207 where it is securely attached thereto to permit rawfluid flowing through the first conduit 220 to pass into the storagecompartment 202 and then ultimately through the outlet port 209 and intothe first header space 172 where it is introduced into the firstfiltration stage 120. The rotatable cap member 253 thus provides awinding mechanism in that the first conduit 220 is connected to thefixed, non-rotatable inlet port 207 and passes through the slot 179 intothe interior of the cap member 253 which provides a storage area for thefirst conduit 220. The first conduit 220 wraps around the stationarydischarge conduit 196 and as the user rotates the cap member 253relative to the fixed, stationary discharge conduit 196 and header cap171, the first conduit 220 continuously wraps around the dischargeconduit 196 and is stored in the interior of the cap member 253.

The cap member 253 can optionally have a tethered seal member 267 thatis integrally attached to the end wall of the cap member 253 andincludes a cap that can sealingly engage and cover the distal end of thedischarge conduit 196.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, a dual stage ultrafilterapparatus 600 with an integrated shower head feature 610 is illustratedin FIGS. 18-19. The apparatus 600 includes the same basic dual stagefiltration housing 110 and filtration stages 120, 130 to performredundant filtration of the fluid from source 112 prior to it beingdischarged through the shower head 610. The shower head feature 610 isof a fixed head version as opposed to the other head versions describedbelow. Since the apparatus 600 shares similarities to other previouslydescribed embodiments, like components are numbered alike.

The first conduit 220 is a hose or the like that attaches at one end toan connector 620 that includes a swivel head component 622 and a quickrelease connector component 624 that is rotatably connected thereto. Theswivel head component 622 is releasably attached to the first conduit220 as by threadingly connecting the two members. The quick releasecomponent 624 is constructed for a quick release connection to theapparatus 600 and preferably contains a quick release button 626 fordisconnecting the connector 620 from the apparatus 60Q.

In this embodiment, a header cap 630 is disposed at the first end 114 ofthe housing 110 and is configured to provide a shower head thatdischarges twice filtered (sterile) fluid. The header cap 630 is similarto the header space 170 in that it contains the first and second headercompartments 172, 174 separated by the inner wall 188. The inlet port182 is in fluid communication with a quick release connector 632 that iscomplementary to and designed to be releasably and sealably connected tothe quick release component 624 of the connector 620. This permits fluidflowing through the first conduit 220 to flow through the connector 620,through the inlet port 182 and into the first header space 172 (which inthe illustrated embodiment is an outer annular space).

In order to provide the integrated shower feature 610, the second headerspace 174 is in fluid communication with a perforated shower head 640that contains outlet orifices 642 to discharge the twice filtered fluidthat flows into the second header space 174 after flowing through thesecond filtration stage 130 (through the fiber bundle 131 thereof).

To operate the shower apparatus 600, pressurized raw fluid is deliveredthrough the first conduit 220 by means of an external pump mechanismthat can be on-site or at a remote location as when the first conduit220 is part of a pressurized water system. The raw fluid flowscontinuously through the connector 620 into the first header space 172and the fiber bundle 121 where the raw fluid is filtered for a firsttime and then, as previously discussed, the once filtered fluid passesinto the inner lumens of the fiber bundle 131 thereby twice filteringthe fluid.

Now referring to FIGS. 20-21, a dual stage ultrafilter apparatus 700with an integrated shower head feature 710 is illustrated. The apparatus700 is similar to the apparatus 600 with the exception that theapparatus 700 is a removable hand held version. More specifically, thefirst conduit 220, which is typically in the form of a hose thatdelivers pressurized raw, unfiltered water, is sealingly attached to aconnector 720 that has a fluid passageway formed therein and beginningwith an inlet 722 and terminating with an outlet 724. The distal end ofthe first conduit 220 is attached to a swivel head attachment adapter730 that is fluidly connected to the inlet 722 in a swivel manner. Theoutlet 724 of the connector 720 includes an outlet connector whichextends from the body 721 of the connector 720 and includes fasteningfeatures, e.g., external threads, that permit a member to be securelyattached to the outlet connector. The connector body 721 also includes aholder bracket 726 which in the illustrated embodiment takes the form ofa U-shaped clamp member.

The apparatus 700 includes a handle 730 which is constructed to permitthe apparatus 700 to be easily held by the user. The handle 730 is ahollow member and includes an internal fluid passageway 732 thatterminates at one end 733 at the inlet opening 182 at the first headerspace 172. An opposite end 735 of the handle 730 is open and includes aquick release connector portion 740 that is configured for a quickrelease connection. A holder member or point 750 is formed proximate theopposite end 735 and is constructed and configured to be releasablyreceived in a frictional manner in the holder bracket 726 so as to holdthe apparatus 700, and more particularly, the handle 730 thereof,relative to the connector 720. In the illustrated embodiment, the holdermember 750 has a complementary shape as the bracket 726 and can be inthe form of a cylindrically shaped knob or the like.

A flexible conduit (hose) attachment 760 extends between the quickrelease connector portion 740 associated with the handle 730 and theoutlet connector 724 of the connector 720. In the case when theconnector portion 740 is of a quick release type, one end 762 of thehose attachment 760 includes a complementary quick release connector 764that mates with the connector portion 740. The connector 764 includes arelease button 766 that permits the hose attachment 760 to be easily andquickly released and detached from the connector portion 740. Anopposite end 768 of the hose attachment 760 has a connector or adapter770 that sealingly mates with the outlet connector 724. For example, theconnector 770 can be an internally threaded connector that threadinglymates with the external threads of the outlet connector 724. The hoseattachment 760 has a sufficient length such that the apparatus 700 canbe removed from its secure position in the bracket 726 as the user gripsthe apparatus 700 in his/her hand and then moves the housing 110 aroundin up and down and sideways motions to sufficiently discharge and directtwice filtered fluid onto select surfaces, e.g., body areas.

The apparatus 700 includes a header cap 780 that is similar to headercap 630 of apparatus 600 with the exception being that instead of havinga connector 620, the header cap 780 includes the handle 730 in the samelocation. The header cap 780 includes the inner wall 188 that partitionsthe interior into the first and second header spaces 172, 174. Theheader cap 780, in this embodiment, has dimensions (diameter) that aregreater than the dimensions of the first end of the housing 110 andtherefore, the header cap 780 extends beyond the housing 110. In aportion of the header cap 780 that is beyond the housing 110, an openend of the handle 730 is in fluid communication with the first headerspace 172 to permit the raw unfiltered fluid (water) to flow through thehandle 730 and into the first header space 172.

FIG. 22 illustrate the use of changeable nozzles that are adapted to beincorporated into the designs of any of the previously describedintegral shower heads. In particular, FIG. 22 illustrates a firstinterchangeable nozzle 800 that is configured to releasably interlockwith a header cap 810 that has an annular connector (boss) 820 extendingtherefrom. Each of the nozzle 800 and the connector 820 includescomplementary interlocking features 802, 822, respectively, which permitthe nozzle 800 to be securely locked to the connector 820 but yet easilyremoved to permit the nozzle type to be changed.

More particularly, the illustrated nozzle 800 includes a hollow body 802that has openings 804 formed at an outlet end and a tapered connectorportion 806 at the opposite end. The connector portion 804 isconstructed to be received in and securely engaged to the connector 820and in the illustrated embodiment, the interlocking features 802, 822are of a twist lock type that permit the connector portion 806 to bereceived in the connector 820 and then rotated to effectuate a twistlock between the two parts. To remove the locked nozzle 800, the body802 is rotated in the opposite direction until the features 802, 822align again and then the nozzle 800 can be removed from the connector820. The openings 804 are constructed and configured to produce fluidstreams.

FIG. 22 also shows another nozzle 830 that is similar to the nozzle 800with the exception that the nozzle 830 is configured to produce a coneshaped discharge of fluid instead of the streams of nozzle 800.

FIG. 23 shows a tethered cap 840 that is attached to the header cap 810and permits a cap 842 to be releasably attached to the open end of theconnector 820 (discharge conduit 196) of the header cap.

Thus, while there have been shown, described, and pointed outfundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferredembodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions,substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devicesillustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in theart without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Forexample, it is expressly intended that all combinations of thoseelements and/or steps which perform substantially the same function, insubstantially the same way, to achieve the same results are within thescope of the invention. Substitutions of elements from one describedembodiment to another are also fully intended and contemplated. It isalso to be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn toscale, but that they are merely conceptual in nature. It is theintention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope ofthe claims appended hereto.

As discussed herein, the term “purify” generally means to removeunwanted constituents from a substance and the term “sterilize” means tomake free from living microorganisms. Thus, in some applications, thetwo terms can be used synonymously.

FIGS. 24A, 24B and 25-27 generally show one exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention in which a wearable, mobile hydration apparatus 900 isprovided. The hydration apparatus 900 is preferably in the form of apack or back-pack that can easily be carried or worn over a portion ofthe body, as for example, across the shoulders and back of the user asin the case of a back-pack. The hydration pack 900 includes a firstflexible bladder 920 and a second flexible bladder 930 that are operablycoupled to a fluid transfer mechanism 940 and a water purificationdevice 950 for producing purified water as described below.

In particular, the hydration pack 900 of FIGS. 24A and 24B is in theform of a back pack that has a body 912 and two side shoulder straps 914and is constructed to be worn in the same manner as a conventionalback-pack. As best shown in the exploded view of FIG. 25, the firstflexible bladder 920 is defined by an expandable/compressible body 922and includes an inlet port 924 for filling the first bladder 920 withraw (un-purified) water that is to be purified by the water purificationdevice 950 and ultimately delivered to the user as purified, drinkingwater.

Any number of different types of inlet ports 924 can be used and in theillustrated embodiment, the inlet port 924 is a threaded cap that isscrewed onto a respective part of the body 922; however, the inlet port924 can equally be a friction fit cap or plug, etc., so long as a sealedclosure of the first bladder 920 can be achieved.

The first bladder 920 also has a first bladder outlet conduit 926 thatis fluidly connected at one end to an outlet or port 927 of the firstbladder 920 through which the raw water is discharged from the firstbladder 920. The conduit 926 has another end that is operably connectedand in fluid communication with the fluid transfer mechanism 940. Thefluid transfer mechanism 940 is constructed so that upon operation bythe user, the raw (un-purified) water stored in the first bladder 920 isdrawn therefrom and routed to the water purification device 950 forpurification thereof. The fluid transfer mechanism 940 is preferably inthe form of a pump or the like that is manually operated by the user soas to draw the raw water from the first bladder 920 to the waterpurification device 950.

The illustrated pump 940 includes a body 942 that is actuatable so ascreate a pressure differential that causes the raw water to be drawnfrom the first bladder 920. The pump 940 also includes a pump inlet port944 for receiving the raw water from the conduit 926. In other words,the other end of the conduit 926 is fluidly and sealingly connected tothe pump inlet port 944. The pump 940 also includes a pump outletconduit 946 through which the raw water passes as it is routed towardsthe water purification device 950. The pump outlet conduit 946 has afirst end that is fluidly connected to a pump outlet port 948 that ispart of the pump 940 and an opposing second end that is fluidlyconnected to the water purification device 950.

It will be understood that in this first embodiment, the pump 940 merelyacts to draw the raw water from the first bladder 920 and then deliverit to a downstream location, which in this case is the waterpurification device 950 and then ultimately the second bladder 930 wherethe now purified water is stored. The pump 940 thus generally has astorage compartment for receiving the raw water and then some type ofactuatable mechanism, like a handle or plunger or piston, that causesnot only the negative pressure to draw the raw water into the storagecompartment but then generates positive pressure to discharge the waterto the water purification device 950.

Accordingly, the pump 940 can be of any type, such as a hand operatedpump as shown in FIG. 28, a hand operated diaphragm pump, or anothertype of pump that is suitable for the intended application. It will beappreciated that pump 40 can be located in an easily accessible area ofthe pack 900, such as a front pocket, to enable the user to remove thepump 940 and begin transferring the fluid from the first bladder 920,through the purification unit 950, and into the second bladder 930 whilethe user is walking.

The water purification device 950 is of the type that is constructed toreceive raw, un-purified water and purifies the raw water as it passesthrough the device 950 so as to generate purified water that is suitablefor an end use, such as drinking. In other words, the water purificationdevice 950 typically has some type of filtering means or the like thatis contained therein and is constructed to purify the raw water by anynumber of different filtering techniques.

The illustrated water purification device 950 includes a housing 952that contains filter elements 954, such as semi-permeable filtermembranes. The housing 952 includes a first end and an opposing secondend with a first header cap 953 disposed at the first end and a secondheader cap 955 disposed at the second end. The first header cap 953 hasan inlet port 957 formed as a part thereof that is fluidly connected tothe second end of the pump outlet conduit 946 for receiving raw(un-purified) water and has an internal divider or partitioning member959 that partitions the inner space of the first header cap 953 into afirst section (inner section) and a second section (outer section). Inthe case of a circular cartridge as the unit 950, the inner and outersections are concentric sections with the second (outer) section beingin the form of an annular ring around the circular inner section—thus,in this case, the partitioning member 959 is ring shaped.

As described below in more detail with respect to other embodiments, thefiltering elements 954 are contained in a first potting compound at thefirst end with all of the filtering elements 954 being opened at thisfirst end. The filtering elements 954 are contained in a second pottingcompound at the second end with all of the filtering elements 954 beingclosed at the second end.

The inlet port 957 is in fluid communication with only the inner sectionof the header cap 953 and therefore, the raw fluid is introduced onlyinto an inner core of filtering elements 954 that are open with respectto the inner section of the header cap 953. The raw water travels withinthe lumens of the inner core filtering elements 954 (first stage) andthen is filtered across the membranes into a space outside the filteringelements 954 so as to form once filtered water and then due to the dualstage aspect of the device 950, the once filtered water is then forcedacross the membranes of the filtering elements 954 of the outer section(second stage) and into the lumens thereof so as to produce twicefiltered water which then flows in the lumens of the filtering elements954 of the outer section toward the first end where the twice filteredwater flows into the outer section of the first header cap 953.

The first header cap 953 has an outlet port 961 formed as a part thereofand in communication with the outer section thereof so that only twicefiltered water that flows from the outer ring of filtering elements 954into the outer section of the header cap 953 is able to flow through theoutlet port 961. This dual stage filtration is accomplished byeffectively capping off the second end of the filtering elements anddividing the filtering elements 954 into a first stage bundle and asecond stage bundle and arranging the water flow path as described andshown. It will be understood that it is not necessary to have a dualstage filtration arrangement and a single stage filtration arrangementcan easily be provided by only having filtering elements 954 belongingto a single stage. For example, after the raw water is filtered acrossthe membrane of the filtering elements 954 to form once filtered water,this water can then be directed to the outlet port 961 where it is thenrouted to the second bladder 930 as opposed to being filtered again byinteraction with another bundle of filtering elements 954.

The outlet port 961 is in fluid communication with a second conduit 960that is in fluid communication with the second bladder 930 for storingpurified water from the water purification unit or device 950. While notbeing limited to the illustrated embodiment, the second conduit 960 hasa first end 962 that connects to an inlet port 932 of the second bladder930 to permit purified water to enter and be stored in the secondbladder 930. A second end 964 of the second conduit 960 includes adrinking spout or the like 964 that is operable for dispensing a selectamount of purified water. For example, a valve type mechanism can beused at location 964 to permit the purified water to be dispensed underthe control of the user. In the illustrated embodiment, the coupling ofthe second conduit 960 to the water purification device 950 includes theuse of a connector (e.g., T shaped connector) since the purified wateris not delivered from the outlet port 961 into one of the ends of thesecond conduit 960 but rather is delivered to an intermediate location.

It will be understood that the water purification unit 950 can contain afilter (e.g., can contain semi-permeable membranes—“filtering elements954”) and/or an adsorptive type filter medium, such as activated carbon,or it can contain multiple filtration stages, such as those shown inFIG. 25, for added safety or it can be any combination of filtration andadsorptive elements. Sample water purification units that containmultiple filtration stages are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat.Nos. 6,635,179 and 6,719,907 and U.S. patent application Ser. No.60/734,006, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentireties.

In addition, it will be appreciated that the purification unit 950 canhave one or more “quick-connect” fittings to make it easy to replace theunit 950 when necessary or desired. In other words, the connectionsbetween the first and second conduits and the water purification unit950 can each have a “quick-connect” fitting. Also, it will be understoodthat the fittings can be such that without the water purification unit950 in place, the fluid circuit cannot be completed, which thereforemakes it impossible to transfer un-purified water from the first bladder920 and the second bladder 930. In other words, the fittings on the endsor any connectors of the conduits do not complement one another andtherefore, the free end of the first conduit can not be simply connectedto the second conduit so as to link the two fluidly together and permitwater pumped by means of pump 40 to flow directly from the first bladder920 to the second bladder 930.

There are a number of advantages offered by the hydration pack 900 ofthe present invention, with one being that the hydration pack 10 offersa design where a user can quickly and easily fill the first bladder 920with an un-purified water and therefore minimize the time the user maybe exposed to danger. Then while walking or hiking to a next location,or upon getting to a safe location, the user can operate the fluidtransfer pump and pump the fluid from the first bladder 920 through thepurification device 950 and into the second storage bladder 940.

The second bladder 930 does not have an unscrewable inlet port cap suchthat one can not accidentally fill the second bladder with anun-purified water. According to one embodiment of the present inventionand as illustrated in FIGS. 26-27, both the first and second bladders920, 930 occupy a given space in the hydration pack 910 such that as thefirst bladder 920 empties, it simultaneously fills the second bladder930 and thereby occupying the same space. The flow direction is alsoindicated in FIGS. 26-27 in which initially FIG. 26 shows the initialcondition where the first bladder 920 is filled with raw water and thenunder action of the pump 930, the raw water flows from the first bladder920 to the water purification unit 950 and then into the second bladder930 for inflation thereof, while the first bladder 920 becomescompressed.

It will also be appreciated that the first and second bladders 920, 930can be easily constructed as a single unit, such as by bonding threesheets at the edges such that the middle sheet forms a common wall ofeach of the first and second bladders 930, 940. Another way to constructthe two bladders 930, 940 as a single unit is to make a large singlebladder and form a seal down the middle to form two bladdercompartments. Then, by folding the bladder along the seal, the twobladder compartments are basically configured as shown above. Also, thesame effect can be accomplished by configuring the second bladder 940completely within the first bladder 930.

It will further be understood that the purification device 950(filtration device or unit) and the pumping unit 940 can be provided asan integral unit that is contained in a single cartridge or the like asdescribed in U.S. patent application No. 60/714,058, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

The dual stage ultrafilter apparatus (cartridge) 100 with pumping meansis shown in FIG. 1 and is suitable for use in the hydration pack 910.Since the details and operation of the ultrafilter apparatus 100 hasbeen described in detail above, it is not described again in detail. Asmentioned, the housing 110 defines a primary filtration stage 120 and aredundant filtration stage 130, with at least a portion of the housingtypically being generally cylindrically shaped and containing alongitudinal bundle of semi-permeable hollow fibers 140. Thesemi-permeable hollow fibers 140 serve as a means for filtering outbacteria, endotoxins, and other undesirable foreign matter from theincoming fluid from first bladder 920 resulting in a sterile qualityfluid being produced after it passes through the two filtration stages120, 130. The portable ultrafilter apparatus 100 may be used in anyapplication where a sterile fluid is required or highly desired,including drinking water, fluid for sterilizing medical equipment, etc.,bodily cleaning fluid for medical staff, on-line hemodiafiltration,etc., to name just a few exemplary applications. Any number ofsemi-permeable hollow fibers 140 that are commercially available forthis intended purpose may be used.

The dual stage ultrafilter apparatus 100 can be thought of as having aredundant filtration component, as defined by the first and secondfiltration stages 120, 130, a pump mechanism 210 to cause the fluid tobe filtered (raw water from the first bladder 920) to enter and passthrough the two filtration stages 120, 130, and optionally, a storagecompartment for storing a fluid conduit 220 that serves to deliver thefluid to be filtered from the first bladder 920 (FIG. 25).

In the example of the device 100 of FIGS. 1 and 2, the discharge conduit196 is connected to or is the second conduit that is fluidly connectedat its opposite end to the second bladder 930 since the dischargeconduit 196 discharges purified water that is delivered to the secondbladder 930. The outlet port (discharge port) 198 is a lower pressurethan other locations of the filter and thus, the fluid is caused to flowaccording to the aforementioned flow path as the fluid entering thefibers 140 of the first section 121 is conducted across two separatefiber membranes in order to flow into the second header space 174 andultimately through the outlet port 198. The general flow of fluid in thefiltration (sterilization) stages 120, 130 is depicted by the arrows.The solid arrows indicate inter-lumen fluid flow, while the broken lineindicated flow between the stages 120, 130.

As will be apparent hereinafter, there a number of different pumpmechanisms 200 that perform the intended function and therefore, theillustrated pump mechanism 200 is merely exemplary in nature and notlimiting in scope of the present invention. The pumping mechanism cantake the form of a piston pump or some other type of pump.

Now referring to FIG. 5, the dual stage ultrafilter apparatus 300 isalso suitable for use in the hydration pack 910 and since the apparatus300 has previously been discussed in detail, it is not discussed ingreat detail again. Instead of having the piston pump mechanism, theapparatus 300 has a pump mechanism 310 that is still a hand operatedsystem similar to the mechanism; however, the pump mechanism 310 is of abellows type construction and is located at the second end 116 of thehousing 110. The bellows construction of the pump mechanism 1310 permitthe user to draw fluid from the source and store it in a temporaryholding location by expanding the bellows and then conversely, the userdischarges the held fluid by simply retracting the bellows back to theclosed position. As with the other embodiments, the apparatus 300 iseasily incorporated into the hydration pack 910 by hooking up the inletconduit to the first bladder and hooking up the discharge conduit to thesecond bladder.

The dual stage ultrafilter apparatus 500 of FIG. 15 can also beincorporated into the hydration pack 910 in a manner similar to theother embodiments described above. In this embodiment, the pumpmechanism 510 also includes the lever mechanism 530 that is handoperated for moving water from the first bladder, through the filtrationelements and then to the second bladder.

It will therefore be appreciated that any of the dual-stage ultrafilterapparatuses disclosed herein can be used as part of the hydration pack910.

In yet another aspect of the present invention shown in FIGS. 28 and 29,an apparatus is provided and includes a double or dual filtration designsuch that all of the filtration occurs in a first (or front) section ofthe filter and the second (or back) section serves a redundant safetyfilter as disclosed and illustrated herein. The use of the termredundant safety filter refers to its capability to remove similar sizeparticulate or microorganisms from the fluid stream as the first filterstage. It does not imply, however, that its size or surface area isequal to that of the first filter stage. The filter includes a featurethat is constructed to permit visual verification of filter integrityand in particular, the feature is at least configured to permit visualinspection of at least a portion of the filter media (e.g.,semi-permeable membranes) associated with the second filter stage andlocated inside of the housing of the apparatus. By visually inspectingthe filter media of the second filter stage, the user can determine ifthe apparatus is in good working order based on whether there is anydiscoloration in the second filter stage.

More specifically, during the course of operation, the inlet area of thefilter apparatus is likely to become discolored indicating that it isfiltering particulate out of the water. This results since mostparticulate has an associated color which is visible when theparticulate is captured on the filter. The outlet area of the filterapparatus will remain “white” (or show no color change) indicating thatonly purified water is passing through it and the first filter stage isworking as intended. Periodic checking of the outlet section (or area)for visual discoloration provides an indication that a breach occurredin the first filter stage and the particulate in the water is beingfiltered by the second filter stage. Though the water is still purifiedby the second filter stage, it is recommended that the filter bereplaced. This ensures a safe and reliable source of ultrapure water isprovided by taking advantage of the redundant dual stage filter designfeature. The specific details of the visual inspection feature of thepresent invention are described below with reference to a number ofdifferent embodiments each having a first primary filter stage and asecond redundant filter stage.

In one embodiment, the casing of the filtration device is formed of atransparent or translucent material, such as a transparent ortranslucent plastic, that allows visual examination of the filter media(the two fiber bundles) inside the casing. However, it is often notdesired to permit a full view of the filter media inside the casingand/or due to regulatory guidelines or advertising and identificationdemands, a label 1000 (see FIGS. 28 and 29) is provided and is disposedon the exterior surface of the casing. The label 1000 can includeproduct information, as well as other identifying information anddirections, etc. The presence of the label 1000 obscures one or more ofthe fiber bundles and many times, the label 1000 covers at least aportion of both the first and second fiber bundles.

In accordance with the present invention, the feature is in the form ofat least an outlet window 1010 (e.g., a cutout) that is formed in thelabel 1000 and is disposed over the second bundle of fibers to permiteasy visual inspection of the underlying second bundle of fibers. Theprecise location of the outlet window 1010 is not critical so long asthe second bundle of fibers is visible through the outlet window 1010.

In addition, the shape and size of the outlet window 1010 is notcritical so long as the outlet window 1010 permits visual inspection ofthe underlying second bundle of fibers. The outlet window 1010 can thusbe in the form of a square or rectangular opening or cutout formedthrough the label 1000 or can be in the form of an opening havinganother shape, such as a circle, oval, etc.

The label 1000 can have an inlet window 1020 (e.g., a cutout) that isdisposed over the first bundle of fibers to permit easy visualinspection of the underlying first bundle of fibers. The preciselocation of the inlet window 1020 is not critical so long as the firstbundle of fibers is visible through the inlet window 1020. In addition,the shape and size of the inlet window 1020 is not critical so long asthe inlet window 1020 permits visual inspection of the underlying firstbundle of fibers. The inlet window 1020 can thus be in the form of asquare or rectangular opening formed through the label 1000 or can be inthe form of an opening having another shape, such as a circle, oval,etc.

FIGS. 28 and 29 illustrate embodiments of a dual-stage filter apparatusthat can be used as stand-a-lone units or can be incorporated into oneof the previously described products, including the hydration pack 910or one of the portable pump mechanisms. In FIG. 28, the apparatus 1000includes a first filtration stage 1100 where the fluid is initiallyfiltered and a second redundant filtration stage 1110 where redundantfiltration occurs. The arrows show the flow path of the fluid. Theoperations of the apparatus is the same or similar to the earlierembodiments and is therefore not described in any detail. In FIG. 29,the apparatus includes first and second filtrations stages 1100, 1110,as well as the label 1000 that includes an outlet window 1010.

Alternatively, the casing is formed of an opaque material with theexception of at least an outlet window being formed as part of thecasing similar to the outlet window 1010 described above with respect tothe label 1000. The outlet window portion of the casing is formed of atransparent or translucent material to permit visual inspection of theunderlying second bundle of fibers that is part of the second filterstage. Once again, the precise location of the outlet window is notcritical so long as the second bundle of fibers is visible through theoutlet window. In addition, the shape and size of the outlet window isnot critical so long as the outlet window permits visual inspection ofthe underlying second bundle of fibers. The outlet window can thus havea square or rectangular shape or it can have another shape, such as acircle, oval, etc. In addition and in combination with the outletwindow, the opaque casing can have a transparent or translucent inletwindow that permits visual inspection of the underlying first bundle offibers that is part of the first filter stage. In this embodiment, thewindows are not in the form of cutouts but instead are solid windowsformed of a transparent or translucent material surrounded by opaquematerial.

In yet another aspect and in either the embodiment where the label 1000is disposed on the casing or when one or more windows are formed as partof an opaque casing, a magnification sheet or the like can be providedfor magnifying the underlying second bundle of fibers to better permitthe user to better determine if the underlying second bundle of fibershas an discoloration due to a breach of the first filter. In the case ofusing the label 1000 on the casing, the magnification sheet is disposedacross the outlet window (cutout) formed in the label 1000 or in thecase where the casing is formed of an opaque material, the magnificationsheet can be disposed over the outlet window of the casing.

As discussed previously, the outlet window, as well as the optionalinlet window, allows visual examination of the filter media (secondbundle of fibers) inside the housing (casing). During the course ofoperation, the inlet area (first bundle of fibers) of the filter mediais likely to become discolored indicating that it is filteringparticulate out of the water, while the outlet area (second bundle offibers) remains “white” or shows no color change indicating that onlypurified water is passing through it and the first filter stage (firstfiber bundle) is working as intended.

It will be appreciated that when an inlet window is provided for thechecking the operation of the first filter stage, the first bundles offibers should be formed of a transparent or translucent material sincethe particulate is captured and collected in the inner lumens of thefibers and therefore, in order to see the discoloration attributed tothe collected particulate, the user must be able to see the inside ofthe fibers through the inlet window. In contrast, the second filterstage works in an opposite manner in that any particulate that may bepresent in the second filter stage due to a breach or the like of thefirst filter stage is collected on the outside of the bundle of secondfibers. Thus, the bundle of second fibers does not have to betransparent or translucent since the particulate material collects onthe outside thereof; however, in many cases, the use of transparent ortranslucent fibers does make it easier to detect the discolorationrelative to “white” background.

Periodic checking of the outlet window for visual discoloration providesan indication that a breach occurred in the first filter stage (firstfiber bundle) and the particulate in the water is being filtered by thesecond filter stage (second fiber bundle).

Advantageously, the provision of at least an outlet window as part ofthe dual stage filtration apparatus permits the easy visual verificationof the filter integrity and does not require the addition of “marker”particles or dyes to the fluid stream being filtered nor does it requirean additional sensor to detect filter failure but rather is based on thenatural presence of particulate in the water being filtered and a visualinspection.

The provision of both inlet and outlet windows as part of label 1000 oras part of the casing in close proximity to one another permits the userto easily compare the color of the underlying fibers in the twodifferent stages and thus, permits the user to see how the discolorationappears in the first filter stage and then compare and see if there isany appearance of discoloration in the second filter stage.

It will also be appreciated that the label 1000 can be incorporated intoany of the previous dual stage filtration devices, such as the devicesof FIGS. 1-27. For example, in the case of the device 100 of FIG. 1, thefirst and second filtration stages are simply reversed so that thesecond redundant filtration stage is the outermost stage that isadjacent the inner casing wall itself.

While the present invention has been described in terms of sterilizing afluid and in particular an aqueous solution, such as unfiltered water,it will be understood that the present apparatuses can be equally usedto redundantly filter other fluids, including other liquids besideswater or mixtures of fluids.

Thus, while there have been shown, described, and pointed outfundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferredembodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions,substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devicesillustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in theart without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Forexample, it is expressly intended that all combinations of thoseelements and/or steps which perform substantially the same function, insubstantially the same way, to achieve the same results are within thescope of the invention. Substitutions of elements from one describedembodiment to another are also fully intended and contemplated. It isalso to be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn toscale, but that they are merely conceptual in nature. It is theintention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope ofthe claims appended hereto.

All references, publications, pending and issued patents are herein eachincorporated by reference in their entirety.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hand held dual-stage filtration cartridgecomprising: a cartridge including a housing having a first sterilizationstage including first semi-permeable filtering elements and a secondsterilization stage including second semipermeable filtering elements,the housing having a first end and a second end with the first endincluding a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port and a member thatdivides the housing into the first sterilization stage and the secondsterilization stage, the first semi-permeable filtering elementssurrounding the second semi-permeable filtering elements and beingformed adjacent a side wall of the housing, the fluid inlet port beingin fluid communication only with the first sterilization stage, whilethe fluid outlet port is in fluid communication only with the secondsterilization stage, wherein the first and second semi-permeablefiltering elements are sealed at the second end of the housing so as tocause the fluid entering the fluid inlet port to flow within lumensections of the first semi-permeable filtering elements and then befiltered by being conducted across the first semi-permeable filteringelements and then subsequently being filtered again by being conductedacross the second semi-permeable filtering elements and into the lumensections of the second semipermeable filtering elements prior to beingdischarged through the fluid outlet port; and an integral shower headdisposed at the first end of the housing, the integral shower head beingin fluid communication with both the fluid inlet port and the fluidoutlet port for discharging twice filtered fluid, wherein the integralshower head includes an integral external inlet port that is external tothe housing and disposed along an axis parallel to a longitudinal axisof the housing and for connection to a conduit that delivers the fluidto the fluid inlet port of the housing, the integral shower head beingdefined by a header cap that is disposed adjacent the housing anddivides the housing into the first and second sterilization stages,header cap having an inner wall structure that defines the fluid inletport and fluid outlet port, wherein the integral shower head is definedby a plurality of openings formed through the header cap to permitexternal discharge of the filtered fluid, the plurality of openingsbeing formed along axes that are parallel to longitudinal axes of thesecond semi-permeable filtering elements to permit the filtered fluid toflow axially through the second semi-permeable filtering elements, outof the fluid outlet port and through the integral shower head, whereinthe external inlet port is integrally formed with the header cap anddepends therefrom and extends along a side wall of the housing.
 2. Thedual-stage filtration cartridge of claim 1, wherein the inner wallstructure of the integral shower head defines an inner header spacebetween a header end wall of the header cap and first ends of the firstand second semi-permeable filtering elements, the inner wall structuredividing the inner header space into a first inner header space and asecond inner header space, the fluid inlet port being in fluidcommunication only with the first inner header space while the fluidoutlet port is in fluid communication only with the second inner headerspace.
 3. The dual-stage filtration cartridge of claim 2, wherein thefirst and second inner header spaces are concentric with respect to oneanother.
 4. The dual-stage filtration cartridge of claim 2, furtherincluding: a first potting compound disposed at the first ends of thefirst and second semipermeable filtering elements, the first pottingcompound permitting fluid communication between the first inner headerspace and the first semi-permeable filtering elements as well as betweenthe second inner header space and the second semi-permeable filteringelements; and a second potting compound at the second ends of the firstand second semipermeable filtering elements for sealing off the secondends thereof.
 5. The dual-stage filtration cartridge of claim 1, whereinthe fluid enters the first stage and is discharged from the second stageat the same end of the housing.
 6. The dual-stage filtration cartridgeof claim 3, wherein a first connector is provided in fluid communicationwith the external inlet port and thus is in fluid communication with thefirst header space and is adapted to be fluidly connected to a source ofthe fluid via a second connector.
 7. The dual-stage filtration cartridgeof claim 6, wherein each of first and second connectors is of a quickrelease type.
 8. The dual-stage filtration cartridge of claim 2, whereinthe integral external inlet port is in the form of a hollow handlemember extending along an external side surface of the housing therefromwith a fluid conduit being defined therethrough for carrying fluid froma source to the first header space.
 9. The dual-stage filtrationcartridge of claim 8, further including: a conduit attachment forfluidly connecting a first conduit that carries the fluid from thesource to a distal connector of the handle member, the conduitattachment having a clamp that is adapted to receive and hold a portionof the handle.